[The new Baron is crowned, the border sweeping starts, and the Baron's birthday is celebrated a bit more than expected.]
Player Characters:
Lasairfhiona [pronounced “Lah-sah-reena”] – human female Medicine Woman (4th-level Shaman)
Ysgwyn [pronounced “ees-win”] – elf female Warrior-Seer (2nd-level Elven Spellsword)
Ignis – human male Commissary (4th-level Venturer)
Vladimir – dwarf male Dwarven Repriser (3rd-level Dwarven Fury)
Vojtěch – human male “Theurgist” (actually a Spiritualist, a 3rd-level Warlock)
Non-Player Characters:
Gabriel – human female Forester (3rd-level Explorer)
Heinrike – human female Gammertingen Scout, head of the Scouts unit
Marcus – human male Slayer (4th-level Assassin)
Wolf-Klaus – human male noble, Baron of Gammertingen
Thursday, June 9, 1650 AD
9:00 AM
START MONTAGE
GAMMERTINGEN LUTHERAN CHURCH:
Wolf-Klaus, dressed in his most impressive clothes, fit for nobility but with a bare head, enters the Gammertingen Lutheran church and all present stand. The church is full of dignitaries and the elite of the townsfolk. Paintings of Wolf-Klaus’ deceased family were also present at the altar, each with a black ribbon around it. Wolf-Klaus starts walking down the aisle to where the priest waits. The organ starts playing impressive music. [Organ music continues playing through entire montage.]
CUT TO SOUTH OF KETTERNACKER:
Ignis and a small detail of mercenaries crawl up the side of a low rise, each wearing a light blue armband. At the crest they spy a blockade manned by troops in black. The mercenaries ready their muskets.
CUT TO FURTHER SOUTH:
Another group of mercenaries with light blue armbands are prepping their harquebuses and sighting on a blockade different from the one previously shown.
CUT BACK TO GAMMERTINGEN LUTHERAN CHURCH:
Wolf-Klaus is kneeling before the priest, taking his oaths. The priest is asking, “…to defend the barony and the people therein and keep the peace?” “I will,” Wolf-Klaus vows.
CUT BACK TO SOUTH OF KETTERNACKER:
The mercenaries in black are sitting and joking with each other when a fireball erupts among them, unleashing an inferno of flames and burning everything. The mercenaries die screaming. Ignis and his team stand up to watch.
CUT BACK TO FURTHER SOUTH:
One of the mercenaries in black at this blockade looks to the horizon to the north, where a plume of smoke can just barely be seen. The others stand as he draws their attention to it - then a volley of harquebus fire from a nearby rise cuts them all down.
CUT BACK TO GAMMERTINGEN LUTHERAN CHURCH:
Wolf-Klaus, now wearing the baronial crown of Gammertingen turns to face the attending dignitaries and townsfolk and is greeted with applause.
FADE TO BLACK
Late Morning
Following the coronation ceremony, a minor reception happened where Wolf-Klaus, now Baron of Gammertingen, publicly mixed with the visiting and local dignitaries. As all the important issues were discussed in private the night before, this is a social setting for small talk and congratulations, to see and be seen. The paintings of Wolf-Klaus’ deceased family from inside the church were also present and kept the reception slightly somber.
Afternoon
Waiting for the baron’s birthday feast later that evening, Yswyn decided that her bed had been too empty the last week. She sent a message to the Snuggly Duckling, asking that Micha and Sigi be sent over to Gammertingen town and the guest house Wolf-Klaus had set aside for his trusted friends. If she was going to stay in this human town, she thought, she might as well have some toys to play with.
Vojtěch spent the time doing the things a court mage would do, planting the idea that he is the court mage in the minds of both the visiting dignitaries and the baron’s household staff. Vojtěch doesn’t actually hold that position, but when the time comes for that to be decided, he wants all involved to see him as the natural candidate.
Lasairfhiona, Gabriel, and Yswyn picked up their dresses from the dressmaker and had a final fitting to fix any minor details. The dresses all had extra pockets sewn into them for concealing things [read: “pistols and other weapons”]. Gabriel’s and Yswyn’s dresses both had sword sheaths artfully hidden in the back of the dresses. [Short swords only, but still swords.] The three women spent the rest of the evening filling the pockets with various implements of warfare “just in case” and adjusting placements and positions of the gear so they did not clank when they walked and the dresses draped naturally. Ebba Schultes, the dressmaker, had done her job well and the three women felt ready for anything untoward that might happen that night.
Evening
The party for Wolf-Klaus’ birthday was a feast held in the courtyard between the manor house and the barracks. The decorations were extensive and tasteful, having been arranged by the Baroness prior to her untimely death. The initial stages of the party went well until Vladimir noticed that his most recent refill was only half full. He looked around for the server who had given him the half empty drink and spotted the man steadily walking towards the high table while pulling out a previously concealed pistol. Vladimir stood up to get a better view and noticed three other “servers” also walking steadily towards the high table where the baron and the prince were seated.
At the same time, Lasairfhiona also noticed four servers acting unusual and ignoring requests from the guests near them. She glanced over at Vladimir and saw the dwarf picking up his battleaxe and stepping towards one of the servers. That was all the warning she needed to nudge Gabriel and discretely point out the possible trouble.
Vladimir struck the first blow, sneaking up behind the closest assassin and striking him with his battleaxe, loudly declaring, “Never short a dwarf on his ale!” This made everyone else at the feast pause in their conversations, wondering how drunk the dwarf was to over-react so badly. Then the assassins raised their pistols, pointing them at the High Table. Suddenly the crowd realized this was an assassination attempt, maybe the dwarf wasn't really that drunk, and they did not want to get caught in the crossfire between the assassins and the possibly sober dwarf. Almost as one the crowd started scrambling toward the exits [or at least away from the High Table].
In the ensuing scramble and fight between the assassins and Wolf-Klaus’ “associates”, Vojtěch cast Summon Hero to engage one of the assassins and eventually kill him. Another assassin shot Wolf-Klaus and hit him with a glancing blow with his pistol [I rolled low on damage]. Lasairfhiona used Command Word “Surrender” on him, which he did. Yswyn and Gabriel killed the last two assassins, by which time most of the guests had fled the courtyard. Lasairfhiona immediately moved to Wolf-Klaus’ side and healed him. The newly confirmed baron commented, “Now I’ll have to be seen at the street festival or everyone will think I died during the attack.”
Vojtěch had the assassin’s bodies taken away to be examined later [as a court mage would do]. Meinrad, Prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, excused himself for the evening, claiming he had had enough excitement for the evening and retired to his rooms. Wolf-Klaus went and changed into fresh clothes without so many bullet holes in them and more appropriate for a street festival. The rest of the visiting dignitaries [once they were located] accepted the baron’s invitation to adjoin to the street festival. The group of worthies [plus the baron’s “associates”] exited the walled portion of the town and spent several hours enjoying the street festival just across the river. The baron made a point of being seen to counter any rumors he had just been killed in an assassination attempt. Many of the townsfolk were surprised and pleased to see him still alive. Those that weren’t, hid it well.
End of Session
[So, for the opening scene of this part of Session 3 I was channeling the baptism scene in the Godfather, where Michael Corleone was renouncing the works of the devil while his hit teams were killing all those who had wronged him and murdered his father. I might not have done it full justice, but I was trying to be concise while getting the idea across – the session notes are long enough as it is.]
[Next session the PCs will be reunited as the Baron goes to war against the enemy forces inside his barony. I plan to use the mass combat system in the ACKS Domains at War supplement. I’ve played using it before and it is one of the reasons I chose the Adventurer Conqueror King System for this campaign. This will be my first time running it, so wish me luck!]
1650: The Miniseries
Session 1
Session 2
Session 3, Part 1
Session 4 [Not Yet Written]
Player Characters:
Lasairfhiona [pronounced “Lah-sah-reena”] – human female Medicine Woman (4th-level Shaman)
Ysgwyn [pronounced “ees-win”] – elf female Warrior-Seer (2nd-level Elven Spellsword)
Ignis – human male Commissary (4th-level Venturer)
Vladimir – dwarf male Dwarven Repriser (3rd-level Dwarven Fury)
Vojtěch – human male “Theurgist” (actually a Spiritualist, a 3rd-level Warlock)
Non-Player Characters:
Gabriel – human female Forester (3rd-level Explorer)
Heinrike – human female Gammertingen Scout, head of the Scouts unit
Marcus – human male Slayer (4th-level Assassin)
Wolf-Klaus – human male noble, Baron of Gammertingen
Thursday, June 9, 1650 AD
9:00 AM
START MONTAGE
GAMMERTINGEN LUTHERAN CHURCH:
Wolf-Klaus, dressed in his most impressive clothes, fit for nobility but with a bare head, enters the Gammertingen Lutheran church and all present stand. The church is full of dignitaries and the elite of the townsfolk. Paintings of Wolf-Klaus’ deceased family were also present at the altar, each with a black ribbon around it. Wolf-Klaus starts walking down the aisle to where the priest waits. The organ starts playing impressive music. [Organ music continues playing through entire montage.]
CUT TO SOUTH OF KETTERNACKER:
Ignis and a small detail of mercenaries crawl up the side of a low rise, each wearing a light blue armband. At the crest they spy a blockade manned by troops in black. The mercenaries ready their muskets.
CUT TO FURTHER SOUTH:
Another group of mercenaries with light blue armbands are prepping their harquebuses and sighting on a blockade different from the one previously shown.
CUT BACK TO GAMMERTINGEN LUTHERAN CHURCH:
Wolf-Klaus is kneeling before the priest, taking his oaths. The priest is asking, “…to defend the barony and the people therein and keep the peace?” “I will,” Wolf-Klaus vows.
CUT BACK TO SOUTH OF KETTERNACKER:
The mercenaries in black are sitting and joking with each other when a fireball erupts among them, unleashing an inferno of flames and burning everything. The mercenaries die screaming. Ignis and his team stand up to watch.
CUT BACK TO FURTHER SOUTH:
One of the mercenaries in black at this blockade looks to the horizon to the north, where a plume of smoke can just barely be seen. The others stand as he draws their attention to it - then a volley of harquebus fire from a nearby rise cuts them all down.
CUT BACK TO GAMMERTINGEN LUTHERAN CHURCH:
Wolf-Klaus, now wearing the baronial crown of Gammertingen turns to face the attending dignitaries and townsfolk and is greeted with applause.
FADE TO BLACK
Late Morning
Following the coronation ceremony, a minor reception happened where Wolf-Klaus, now Baron of Gammertingen, publicly mixed with the visiting and local dignitaries. As all the important issues were discussed in private the night before, this is a social setting for small talk and congratulations, to see and be seen. The paintings of Wolf-Klaus’ deceased family from inside the church were also present and kept the reception slightly somber.
Afternoon
Waiting for the baron’s birthday feast later that evening, Yswyn decided that her bed had been too empty the last week. She sent a message to the Snuggly Duckling, asking that Micha and Sigi be sent over to Gammertingen town and the guest house Wolf-Klaus had set aside for his trusted friends. If she was going to stay in this human town, she thought, she might as well have some toys to play with.
Vojtěch spent the time doing the things a court mage would do, planting the idea that he is the court mage in the minds of both the visiting dignitaries and the baron’s household staff. Vojtěch doesn’t actually hold that position, but when the time comes for that to be decided, he wants all involved to see him as the natural candidate.
Lasairfhiona, Gabriel, and Yswyn picked up their dresses from the dressmaker and had a final fitting to fix any minor details. The dresses all had extra pockets sewn into them for concealing things [read: “pistols and other weapons”]. Gabriel’s and Yswyn’s dresses both had sword sheaths artfully hidden in the back of the dresses. [Short swords only, but still swords.] The three women spent the rest of the evening filling the pockets with various implements of warfare “just in case” and adjusting placements and positions of the gear so they did not clank when they walked and the dresses draped naturally. Ebba Schultes, the dressmaker, had done her job well and the three women felt ready for anything untoward that might happen that night.
Evening
The party for Wolf-Klaus’ birthday was a feast held in the courtyard between the manor house and the barracks. The decorations were extensive and tasteful, having been arranged by the Baroness prior to her untimely death. The initial stages of the party went well until Vladimir noticed that his most recent refill was only half full. He looked around for the server who had given him the half empty drink and spotted the man steadily walking towards the high table while pulling out a previously concealed pistol. Vladimir stood up to get a better view and noticed three other “servers” also walking steadily towards the high table where the baron and the prince were seated.
At the same time, Lasairfhiona also noticed four servers acting unusual and ignoring requests from the guests near them. She glanced over at Vladimir and saw the dwarf picking up his battleaxe and stepping towards one of the servers. That was all the warning she needed to nudge Gabriel and discretely point out the possible trouble.
Vladimir struck the first blow, sneaking up behind the closest assassin and striking him with his battleaxe, loudly declaring, “Never short a dwarf on his ale!” This made everyone else at the feast pause in their conversations, wondering how drunk the dwarf was to over-react so badly. Then the assassins raised their pistols, pointing them at the High Table. Suddenly the crowd realized this was an assassination attempt, maybe the dwarf wasn't really that drunk, and they did not want to get caught in the crossfire between the assassins and the possibly sober dwarf. Almost as one the crowd started scrambling toward the exits [or at least away from the High Table].
In the ensuing scramble and fight between the assassins and Wolf-Klaus’ “associates”, Vojtěch cast Summon Hero to engage one of the assassins and eventually kill him. Another assassin shot Wolf-Klaus and hit him with a glancing blow with his pistol [I rolled low on damage]. Lasairfhiona used Command Word “Surrender” on him, which he did. Yswyn and Gabriel killed the last two assassins, by which time most of the guests had fled the courtyard. Lasairfhiona immediately moved to Wolf-Klaus’ side and healed him. The newly confirmed baron commented, “Now I’ll have to be seen at the street festival or everyone will think I died during the attack.”
Vojtěch had the assassin’s bodies taken away to be examined later [as a court mage would do]. Meinrad, Prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, excused himself for the evening, claiming he had had enough excitement for the evening and retired to his rooms. Wolf-Klaus went and changed into fresh clothes without so many bullet holes in them and more appropriate for a street festival. The rest of the visiting dignitaries [once they were located] accepted the baron’s invitation to adjoin to the street festival. The group of worthies [plus the baron’s “associates”] exited the walled portion of the town and spent several hours enjoying the street festival just across the river. The baron made a point of being seen to counter any rumors he had just been killed in an assassination attempt. Many of the townsfolk were surprised and pleased to see him still alive. Those that weren’t, hid it well.
End of Session
[So, for the opening scene of this part of Session 3 I was channeling the baptism scene in the Godfather, where Michael Corleone was renouncing the works of the devil while his hit teams were killing all those who had wronged him and murdered his father. I might not have done it full justice, but I was trying to be concise while getting the idea across – the session notes are long enough as it is.]
[Next session the PCs will be reunited as the Baron goes to war against the enemy forces inside his barony. I plan to use the mass combat system in the ACKS Domains at War supplement. I’ve played using it before and it is one of the reasons I chose the Adventurer Conqueror King System for this campaign. This will be my first time running it, so wish me luck!]
1650: The Miniseries
Session 1
Session 2
Session 3, Part 1
Session 4 [Not Yet Written]
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